November 10, 2025

Sermon: From Grace to Grace to Grace (Titus 2:11-15)

47 minutes

From Grace to Grace to Grace

Sunday, November 9th, 2025

Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Titus 2:11-15

Prayer

Father, we praise You for the grace You have given through Your Only Begotten Son. We thank You for sending the Holy Spirit into our hearts, the same Spirit who authored and breathed forth the Holy Scriptures, and through which we are taught and led to eternal life. Please renew now our faith and joy in knowing You, as we hear Your Word preached, for we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction

This morning, we are picking back up in Paul’s letter to Titus. And after giving everyone in the church a list of things to work on, vices to avoid, virtues to pursue, we come now to this most beautiful doctrinal interlude. An interlude that contains within it the totality of grace in the Christian life.

Here in verses 11-15 Paul extols the appearance of God’s grace in the past, He magnifies that grace which continues in the present, and then he lifts our minds to the consummation of grace which we shall possess and enjoy in the future.

And so I have titled our sermon this morning From Grace to Grace to Grace, because when you love Jesus, and when you walk with Jesus in the power of the Spirit, everything in life can be received as grace.

As Paul says in Romans 8:28, All things conspire (work together) for our good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose. And what is that purpose God intends for you, His saints? That we might be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29).

And so you can consider the first two chapters of Titus up to this point, as describing what true conformity to Jesus looks like in practice. Paul has described what this looks like if you are a Bishop/Elder, an older man, an older woman, a younger woman, a younger man, or even a slave/bondservant.

No matter who you are, regardless of your age, your sex, your education, your station in life, high or low, God has a plan to conform you to His Son. The same Son who is the king and heir and ruler of all creation.

This means that faith in Christ joins you to the royal bloodline.

As it says in Revelation 5:9-10, And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And in 1 Peter 2:9 it says, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

So when you were baptized into Christ, and took the name Christian, which means “little Christ,” “little anointed one,” “saint,” you became a co-heir with Christ, a royal son or daughter, and that means, you must learn now to walk the same royal road that Jesus did.

Where did that road begin? In Bethlehem, with humble beginnings, with persecution and poverty, fear and flight. That road then led to years of obscurity in Nazareth, humble and hidden. Until the time appointed when Christ’s public ministry began, and the Most High Son of God became the most lowly servant of all.

As it says in Philippians 2:8, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

This is where the royal road leads, up to Golgotha, down into the Hades, and only then to the ascent of glory and resurrection. There is no crown for those who carry no cross.

As Jesus says in Luke 9:23, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Now if that sounds hard, or even impossible with your natural strength, you are absolutely right. No one can follow Jesus, carrying their cross to the end, unless a supernatural power is given. The Bible calls this supernatural power grace. Grace in its most general sense is: God’s action in man that leads us to salvation. Grace is therefore an effect of God’s mercy, something given to us that is undeserved, and apart from receiving that grace, there is no hope for anyone.

And so this morning I want us to consider how grace enables us (animates us) to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus. And so I’ve divided our text into three sections.

Outline of the Text

In verse 11 we have The Appearance of Grace.

In verses 12-13 we have The Instruction of Grace.

In verses 14-15 we have The Operation of Grace.

So with that outline in mind let us now walk through our text together.

Verse 11 – The Appearance of Grace

11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

First observe that by this word “For” or “Because,” Paul establishes that God’s grace is the foundation and the reason why Christians live differently from the world (grace is the ground of all holiness and the only soil where salvation can grow).

In verse 10, just prior, he had told servants not to purloin/steal, but rather to show all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. And so now he is giving us that doctrine of God our Savior which grounds all our good works.

Second, observe that God’s grace has now appeared to all men.

This is not to say that God used to be really mean and strict, but now He’s relaxed and lightened up a bit. No, God has always been and always will be unchangeably gracious and merciful.

It says in Psalm 36:5, Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

It says in Psalm 136 again and again, His mercy endures forever.

And every week we hear from Psalm 103 which says, The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy….The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children.

And so do not ever think that God’s nature or essence has ever changed or can change. No, God is unchangeably and everlastingly good. That one who calls himself, “I AM THAT I AM.” HE IS VERY GOODNESS ITSELF.

However, just as the serpent deceived Eve by calling into question God’s authority and goodness (“Did God really say?” “Why would God forbid such a good-looking fruit?), so also for many years after the devil blinded men to the truth about God.

As it says in Romans 1:21-25, Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

So while God was always shining in grace and goodness towards men, as people like Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, and the patriarchs attest, the majority of the world preferred the darkness of sin. They preferred to believe a lie about God, and worshipped idols. And it is in this sense that God’s grace had not yet appeared to all men like it would when Christ would come. The sun was always shining, but the clouds of sin had not yet parted.

And so it says in Galatians 4:4-5, But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

And therefore, the first words of Jesus public ministry in Mark’s gospel are, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15).

The coming of God the Son into this world, to preach and live and die and rise, is how God’s grace is made apparent to all men. As that great motto of the reformation announced: After Darkness Light.

And in the wonderful Christmas hymn, the Sussex Carol, “All out of darkness we have light,

Which made the angels sing this night:

“Glory to God and peace to men,

Now and for evermore, Amen!”

Summary: The incarnation of God, and the death of Christ upon the cross, is how grace is manifested in a new way, a way more explicit, more undeniable, more clear to our dull minds and senses, and it is that good news of great joy (of Christmas day and Easter morning) that shatters the lie of the devil that God is not actually good, that God is not actually present and active and concerned for this world.

And so if you ever doubt or wonder, “Is God gracious,” “Is God merciful?” read the gospels! Look at God in the face of Jesus Christ. Look at the cross, look at his sufferings, look at the empty tomb! Because if you believe that Christ is risen from the dead, you will be saved. And it is that light of faith that scatters the darkness.

Now if that is the Appearance of God’s grace in the past, what then does this grace teach us in the present?

Verses 12-13 – The Instruction/Teaching of Grace

12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

When you are baptized, you are enrolled whether you like it or not, into the School of Grace. In this school Christ is the Headmaster, He has rules you must keep, but always there is grace sufficient to help you.

Never does Christ command us to do anything that is not for our good. And here Paul sets forth the entire moral system of Christ’s School of Grace in just two verses. So what does grace teach us?

First, that you must deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. That is, You must leave your sinful baggage at the door.

As it says in Colossians 3:3, you died, and are now hidden with Christ in God.

And in Ephesians 4:20-24 it says, remember how you learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

So to deny ungodliness is to renounce every sin you have ever committed against God (and anyone else), and to resolve fresh each day to avoid repeating those sins, and in the event that you stumble, you confess them to God immediately, running to Him as your gracious Father in heaven.

Now once you have denied and renounced the devil and all his works, you must then affirm and pursue the new life Christ has for you. And this life consists of three things, Paul says, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

First, we live soberly in relation to ourselves. This means subordinating our will to God’s will, our mind to God’s mind, and our lower passions to that renewed mind and will within us.This is how we live soberly in the fear of God.

Second, we are to live righteously, or justly towards others. This means doing what Paul says in Romans 13:8, 10, Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law…Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

And as Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness (or justice); and all these things shall be added unto you.

So we are to be sober in relation to ourself, we are to be just/righteous in our relation to others, and then….

Third, we are to live godly in relation to God.

It says in 1 Timothy 4:7-8, train yourself unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth a little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

So godliness is the life and joy of heaven begun on earth here and now, in the present world.

But how do you enjoy this heavenly life during your earthly sojourn in this valley of tears? Well verse 13 tells us. It is by Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

What is this blessed hope? This blessed hope consists primarily in two things:

1. The souls’ glory in seeing God.

2. The body’s glory at the final resurrection.

Of this first glory of the soul, Paul says in Philippians 1:21-24, For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

And in 1 John 3:2-3 it says, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

So while eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, what God has in store for those who love Him, what we do know is that: 1) it is far better to be with Christ in Heaven than to be here, and 2) that we when see Him face to face, we shall be like Him. His glory will radiate through our soul, perfecting us.

As Hebrews 12:22-23 describes it, But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.

The saints in heaven are perfect in happiness, content in God, and reigning triumphant with Him. In heaven there is no fear, no disturbance, no sorrow, no pain. Only the pleasant enjoyment of the Holy Trinity, of the man Christ Jesus, of communion with myriad upon myriad of angelic hosts, and friendship with every elect saint who has departed.

Jesus portrays this heavenly reunion in Matthew 8:11 saying, Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

So imagine talking with Noah, Daniel, Job, Paul. Sharing conversation with your loved ones who died in the Lord, meeting the children who died in miscarriage or childbirth, whom Christ has welcomed into his bosom.

All the things that don’t make sense now, shall be understood then. And it is that heavenly feast with billions of beatified souls, that awaits those who look to that blessed hope.

Moreover, that glory of the souls in heaven is not the end of the story, but only the intermediate state as we await the second coming, the final judgment, and the receiving of a new and imperishable body.

Of this blessed hope of resurrection, it says in 1 Corinthians 15:41-53, There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when are you feeling glum, depressed, discouraged by how hard and painful this life is. Lift your eyes to this blessed hope that awaits you. Beg God to give you a heavenly perspective on your earthly woes so that you can endure them with joy and finish your race well.

It says in Romans 8:24, For we are saved by hope.

And in 1 Peter 1:3, that according to His abundant mercy [God] hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

So Lift up your heads, O ye gates; Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in. (Psalm 24:9).

So God’s grace has appeared in Christ, God’s grace teaches us to live in hope with Christ, and then finally in verses 14-15 we see how grace operates through Christ.

Verses 14-15 – The Operation of Grace

14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

So how does grace operate within us?

First, it redeems us from the bondage of sin. Christ pays the debt we owe to God’s justice, and frees us from the guilt and eternal punishment we deserve.

Second, Christ purifies us unto himself. That is, he actually renews our nature and cleanses the very essence of our soul. So that no longer is there is a stain on our conscience, and an inability to do what pleases Him. Instead, we are given a new heart, a new spirit, that wants to please God, wants to do right, and more and more gains mastery over our the flesh.

Later in Titus 3 Paul will describe conversion in this way saying, According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

So when God gives saving grace, He actually changes us at the deepest levels of our being. While we were born dead in sin, incapable of saving ourselves, God from love chose to resurrect us. He gives us grace to begin the Christian life, and He gives us grace to finish.

And so the mark of a born-again Christian, living in grace, is that we are zealous for good works.

Meaning, we don’t merely do good things reluctantly, or indifferently, with a sluggish attitude. But we do good works with zeal for God burning in our hearts.

We are zealous for good works because God is zealous for us.We do good to all because God is good to all.And as Jesus says in Luke 6:35-36,But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

So have you been born again? Does zeal for God and good works and mercy towards others describe the default attitude of your heart?

If not, then remember the infinite debt of sin that God has forgiven you. Remember how patient, gracious, and kind He has been to you, even when you were obstinate and blind.

There is a reason Paul charges in Titus in verse 15 saying, These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. And that is because we are constantly in need of reminders of grace.

We need to be reminded of the appearance of grace, the teaching of grace, the operation of grace and how it looks in practice.

It says in Hebrews 3:13, But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

And so are you receiving daily exhortation from the word of God? Are you meditating day and night upon the law of the Lord? Are you filling your mind with thoughts of heaven, that cloud of witnesses, the saints gone ahead, the Last Adam, the man from heaven, whom you shall stand before and give an account for every careless word? Are you living in the light of eternity, or has the darkness of sin obscured your vision and dampened your soul?

We all need to be stirred up each day to love and good works, to fresh zeal and new hope.

Conclusion

I close with a quote from Martin Luther, who commenting on verse 15 exhorts us all to keep the Word of Christ constantly before our eyes. He says,

“They think that the devil is dead, and they do not know their domestic enemy, who goes about [as a lion seeking someone to devour]. Therefore the flesh snores daily. It has new laws, contrary to faith and love. Therefore one must not stop teaching and exhorting with the same Word, because Satan harasses us every day with his flaming darts (Eph. 6:16). Those who are not harassed are possessed. Therefore every Christian has trials every day. His faith, his hope, and his chastity are tried. What are we to do? Let us teach, let us expound, let us inculcate the Word, let us exhort. Holy Scripture has this grace, that it does not teach in vain. If only one opens the Book attentively, it does not depart without fruit but sets a man straight, purges away his evil thoughts, and brings in good ones. If the evil thoughts return, let him open the Book again. Therefore, Scripture is called in Romans 15:4, a book of patience.”

May God grant that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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